ABOUT RIVER CORNER CHURCH
Who we are together.
River Corner Church is a growing church community of everyday people who gather to worship God, follow Jesus, and journey through life together.
What we practice together.
We are a simple community of Jesus followers. Our small church community is uniquely caring, simple, laid-back, and intergenerational. As a church, we want to be a welcoming, safe, and healing community for those who are seeking, hurting, or need a place to belong. Our practices are contemplative (reflective), charismatic (Spirit-driven), conversational, and informative. The times we share are intentional and intimate, and a mix between modern and traditional. We want to be a place in which love and honor are lived out, where humility is central, and where hospitality is woven into the threads of our community. There is room at the table.
What we value together.
We gather to worship and experience God.
We study the scriptures to learn how to follow, live, and love like Jesus.
We are committed to journeying through life together.
We partner with the Holy Spirit to bring healing and peace to the places we live, work, and play.
What we believe together.
We believe life has a deeper purpose shaped by God's eternal plan. We believe in and worship God who embodies both holiness and love. This divine being is singular yet exists in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In life, we look to know, experience, and live rightly with God. By following Jesus, we see what God looks like and learn to live under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and the scriptures. Jesus offers healing and restoration amid the hardship and human brokenness in the world around us. He calls us to live faithfully and value every life. The local church community is a place to belong as well as a place to worship, be encouraged, and be discipled as we await Jesus' return. We embrace missional lives of compassionate living. In doing so, we proclaim God’s goodness and good news. We also look to steward all that we have received and all that is in the world around us. You can read our whole Statement of Faith here.
When we gather together.
River Corner Church gathers weekly on Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM to worship and experience God, study the scriptures, journey through life together, and to partner with the Holy Spirit. Our church community is located in Conestoga, Pennsylvania. As a simple community of Jesus followers, we meet in a simple church space at 524 River Corner Road in Conestoga, Pennsylvania. You are welcome to gather with us as you are, just be yourself. In addition to our Sunday mornings, through our community page, you will find that there are other times that we hold small groups, events, and more.
Our Story.
In the 1700s, Jesus followers moved into the Conestoga area and began to gather in homes for worship and encouragement. A meetinghouse was built in 1760 to host this growing community, on the land of a local farmer named Benedict Eshleman. After his death, Eshleman willed the land to the church community and that land is where our current building sits today. Throughout the years, we have always been a smaller church community that pursues great intentionality. Today, we are a church community that is made up of a diverse collection of families and stories from all over. We are a place where many stories become one. Our church has been in this neighborhood for a long time and our story has had many different chapters, and many more chapters continue to be written. We are thankful for the way our story has shaped us, but even more, we are excited about the new ways God continues to move in and through our church community.
Our Ministry Team.
Our church community is facilitated by a five-person Leadership Team which includes two members at large, a treasurer, a recording secretary, and our Pastor. In addition to our Leadership Team, we have a Ministry Team that is responsible for the life of our church community. Our Ministry Team is below.
Jeff McLain, Pastor
Jeff has served as our pastoral leader since April 2022. He is currently a Master of Business Administration student at City Vision University, where he also has earned two master's degrees - one in Theology and Ministry and another in Leadership. Jeff also holds a Graduate Certificate in Non-profit Management from City Vision University. In addition to serving River Corner Church, Jeff serves full-time as the Director of Pastoral Ministries at Water Street Mission. In addition to over 13 years of pastoral ministry, Jeff has enjoyed event promotion, leadership coaching, blogging, and podcasting. For over 17 years, Jeff has been happily married to Katie. Jeff, Katie, and their three wander-filled daughters are avid fans of road trips, baseball, boardwalks, beaches, and books.
Katie McLain, Pastoral Care
Katie, the other half of our pastoral couple, has served in the role of pastoral care since April 2022. She grew up in Southern California, before moving to attend Lancaster Bible College in Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, she fell in love with the beauty, cities, and history on the East Coast. It was also in a local Pennsylvanian diner that she met Jeff, and they have now been married for over seventeen years. With their three high-energy daughters, they try to live adventurously and with simplicity. For over sixteen years, Katie had been previously involved in early childhood education. She holds an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education from Northampton Community College, where she made the Dean's List each semester and was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. These days, she works the deli at Wawa in East Petersburg.
Laura Metzler, Worship Leader
Laura has served as our worship leader since June 2023. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Houghton College and a Master in Education from Eastern Mennonite University. In addition to a combined 9 years of classroom teaching and homeschooling, Laura has enjoyed teaching private piano, guitar, and violin lessons over the last 20 years. She loves to help others enter God's presence through her music and worship leading. Laura works part-time as a manager at the Mennonite Life Visitors Center and Biblical Tabernacle Experience. She lives in Lampeter with her husband and four children.
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